A popular tourist attraction was targeted twice by thieves over the Easter holiday who spirited away unique pieces of sculpture.

The eye-catching designs and statues cost thousands of pounds and were on display for little more than a week at Borde Hill Gardens in Haywards Heath.

The unique sculptures, part of the Borde Hill Garden Sculpture Trail which attracted 3,000 people during the four-day Easter break, were taken on April 12 and 14 The sculptures were on loan from Surrey Sculpture Society and were to be shown in the Brighton Festival next month.

Eleni Stephenson-Clarke, marketing manager at Borde Hill, said: "The theft of these beautiful sculptures is a devastating loss.

"Not only to the artists who created the pieces but to our thousands of visitors who gain considerable enjoyment and pleasure from seeing the blend of art and nature."

The nine sculptures, worth around £8,000, were part of a set of 70 made from materials including marble, stone, wood and bronze.

They range from classic figurative to modern abstract and were to form part of Brighton Festival and Mid Sussex Community Arts Festival.

Among the stolen items were two life-size pheasants, a smell gatherer figure, a mythological boy, Helter Skelter, an Augustinian canons.

Police are now circulating photographs of the stolen artwork amid fears it could be sold on in a hurry.

A spokeswoman for Borde Hill said: "These sculptures are unique. They all range from 2ft to 4ft and we would urge anyone who sees them to call police. They are the work of about 50 artists."

Inspector Roy Apps, of Haywards Heath police, said: "It is very sad that these things have been stolen when they are having an exhibition. We are working hard to try to retrieve them."

He said police had liaised with staff at Borde Hill and had given advice on crime prevention and security.

Anyone with information should call 0845 6070999 or Borde Hill Gardens in Balcombe Road on 01444 450326.